Troponin I Test: What It Is and The Normal Range

The troponin test detects the presence of the proteins troponin "I" and troponin "T" in your blood. Heart attacks can cause tissue injuries that result in the leaking of troponin into the bloodstream, which can be detected through troponin tests.

Troponin Serum Test: Its Significance in Diagnosis and Treatment of Heart Attack

Troponins are proteins necessary for the cardiac and skeletal muscles to contract. Under normal circumstances, troponin is present inside the muscle cells. When there is damage to these muscle cells, the troponin inside them leaks into the bloodstream. Thus, the presence of troponin in the blood indicates muscle injury.

There are three kinds of troponin: troponin C, troponin I, and troponin T. Troponin I is present only in the cardiac muscle. Troponin T is also present in other muscles but in very small quantities, and also, its structure is unique in cardiac muscles. Thus, troponin I and troponin T are used as cardiac markers to detect a heart attack because the heart muscles sustain the maximum damage during a heart attack.

Continue reading to learn more about this critical protein, its tests, and other things you need to know about testing for troponin.

What Should You Know About the Troponin Test?

The severity of a heart attack can be evaluated by measuring the amount of troponin leaking into the blood, which rises as the risk becomes higher. The higher the level of troponin, the more severe the injury.

With the advent of technology, it is now possible to detect elevated levels of troponin through troponin tests. High levels of troponins are seen in patients with a higher risk of heart attacks. This, in turn, helps doctors determine whether or not a patient has had a heart attack. This test can help narrow down the cause when other diagnostic methods have failed.

Other names given to the test are cardiac troponin test or cTnI, cTn, or cTnT. Your doctor can recommend either or all of these tests to detect troponin levels in your system and check for potential heart injuries.

Why Do You Need a Troponin Serum Test?

A troponin I and T-test are typically performed if your doctor suspects you are suffering from a heart attack. Your doctor will order a cardiac troponin test to rule out or confirm a heart attack if you exhibit symptoms such as:

• Chest discomfort or pain.
• Pain in your arm, back, jaw, or neck in addition to other body areas.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Nausea.
• Diarrhoea.
• Fatigue.
• Dizziness.
• Sweating.

They might also request an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and other blood tests for a definitive diagnosis.

What Does a Troponin Serum Test Mean?

Doctors check your cardiac troponin levels to determine if you are having a heart attack. Additionally, a troponin test gives quick results, which can help doctors make a prompt diagnosis and provide timely treatment to the patient, which can be life-saving.

Clinicians previously utilised other blood tests such as the CPK isoenzyme test to identify heart attacks. But because they are not sensitive enough to pick up every attack, they are not always the best test. These blood tests reveal nothing about smaller heart attacks. Additionally, the other tests measure chemicals that are not sufficiently precise for the heart muscle.

Troponin has greater sensitivity and the levels rise within 3 hrs of heart attack . Doctors can more accurately identify a heart attack or other heart-related illnesses and start treating patients right away by measuring cardiac troponin levels in the blood.

After cardiac muscle damage, there are two forms of troponin that are easier to detect; they can be distinguished by the letters I and T.

Troponin I (cTnI): only the heart muscle produces this type of troponin.

Troponin T (cTnT): Other muscle types do contain some troponin T, but the levels are very small. Additionally, the troponin T in your heart muscle has a unique structure that is different from the troponin T of other muscles.

How Is the Troponin I Serum Test Performed?

To perform this test, a sample of your blood is drawn, examined, and tested for troponin. Doctors can detect the presence of heart injury if the troponin level is high enough.

A heart attack can be accurately diagnosed using this test in conjunction with other diagnostic procedures such as an electrocardiogram and electrical tracing of the heart.

The troponin test should not be repeated within 9 days of the first positive test and its level becomes normal post this period. In case one has symptoms of a second episode of heart attack within 9 days of the first then CK-MB test is recommended.

With the advancement in laboratory sciences and infrastructure, modern and highly-sensitivity troponin tests have developed. These tests can detect elevated troponin levels as early as 9 minutes after a heart attack. This early detection turns out to be lifesaving in many cases and has revolutionised the treatment of heart attacks.

What Is The Typical Range For Troponin?

Traditional blood tests are typically unable to detect troponin levels because they are so low. In the case of an increase in troponin levels, albeit slight, this can indicate cardiac injury.

Rapid volatility of troponin levels (sharp peaks and troughs) for hours is a serious indication of a cardiac injury.

A cardiac issue is generally indicated by a result of between 0.04 and 0.39 ng/ml. However, a tiny subset of the population with elevated troponin levels is otherwise healthy.

If the value is within this range, more investigation, such as a thorough history and physical, may be warranted.

When going for a troponin test, one of the best centres you should consider is Metropolis. It is backed by a team of 200 senior pathologists and a comprehensive range of 4000+ clinical laboratory tests to help you diagnose diseases early on before they become fatal.

If Your Levels Of Troponin have Increased, What Course Of Action Should You Take?

Rather than treating high troponin levels, which isn’t precisely a diagnosis but a symptom, your doctor will focus on treating the issue from the root.

For instance, high troponin levels indicate that an individual has recently suffered a heart attack. In the case of a heart attack, the treatment options are different depending on whether or not the blood flow has been blocked completely.

Some remedies or treatments suggested by doctors for those who have suffered from a heart attack include:

· Medication to dissolve various blood clots.

· Angioplasty is a procedure where a catheter inserts a tiny balloon into the coronary artery to unblock it.

· Bypass surgery, in which the surgeon creates a new path for blood to pass through the heart.

· Ablation is a procedure wherein the surgeon uses radio waves to eliminate specific harmful heart cells.

To maintain a healthy heart, your doctor will advise you to adjust your lifestyle, eliminate harmful social habits like smoking and drinking, and adopt a healthy lifestyle that involves exercising and following a nutritious diet plan.

There are a variety of treatments to help solve rising levels of troponin I caused by various reasons. There is no "One Size Fits All" solution, and the line of treatment varies from patient to patient.

You can now avail troponin testing from the comfort of your home. Book your troponin tests today with Metropolis India and keep your troponin levels in check.

What’s The Procedure to Conduct a Troponin I Test?

The procedure for Troponin testing is relatively simple and quick and only takes about 10 minutes. All that is required is a tiny blood sample from your vein with a rapid test kit. The test is conducted at least six to twelve hours after the onset of cardiac-like symptoms.

The Troponin I card test is the most accurate Troponin I test available, with an accuracy level of 96.8%. The primary purpose of this test is to determine if your Troponin I levels have shot up.

Do You Need Any Preparation Before Undergoing a Troponin Test?

In most cases, you cannot do any preparation for this test because, more often than not, heart attacks come all of a sudden and are unpredictable. In the event you need to undergo a troponin test, it is recommended that you inform your doctor if you take a Vitamin B7 (commonly known as biotin) supplement as it may affect the result of this test.

How to Interpret the Troponin Test Results?

The normal range (expected level) of troponin in the blood of a healthy person is undetectable or very low and is mentioned in laboratory reports. Elevated serum troponin levels indicate that your cardiac muscle cells are injured and are leaking troponin into the bloodstream.

Although a spike in troponin levels is commonly associated with a heart attack, many other medical conditions harm the heart muscles and can cause raised troponin levels. These include:

• Endocarditis
• Myocarditis
• Cardiomyopathy
• Pericarditis
• Stable Angina
• Heart failure
• Pulmonary embolism
• Chronic kidney disease
• Arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythm)
• Cardiac valve dysfunction
• Sepsis

Takeaway

The troponin test is an invaluable tool for early detection of a heart attack. Although this test has been around for a while, improvements in technology have substantially improved its precision, accuracy, and detection time. With all these advancements, this test has become one of the most effective techniques for the timely diagnosis and treatment of a heart attack.

FAQ

What Can Raise Troponin Levels?

Troponin levels can rise due to cardiac injury, which may be due to a speedy heartbeat, blood clots in the lung artery, inflamed heart muscles due to a virus, over-exercising, prolonged kidney disease, etc. Surgical procedures like angioplasty and open heart surgery can raise troponin levels.

Do Troponin Levels Return to Normal?

Blood troponin levels rise about 2 to 3 hours after the onset of chest pain. After that, the levels will rise steadily until they reach their maximum 12 to 48 hours later. Within 4–10 days, the troponin level will return to normal.